Half- races should be a template

[steeldragons]

I think all half- races such as half-orc and half-elf should be combined into an optional template found in the DMG. Some worlds may not have certain combinations, while other worlds may have unique combinations. This will allow all kinds of variety in the "brooding half-breed that doesn't fit into society".

In the template section it could show a couple of examples: the half-elf and half-orc, since they are the most popular of the half-races.

*Emphasis applied by me.

Are there going to be templates in 5e? That might be the more appropriate question.

For my 2 coppers on that, I certainly hope NOT. Gods what a mess.

But, as with most all things in that I hope for 5e, if it's an "optional" module of templates and their use/application in the DMG, I can't complain...as I can just opt "no!"

--SD

 

[Aeolius]

Are there going to be templates in 5e? That might be the more appropriate question. For my 2 coppers on that, I certainly hope NOT. Gods what a mess.

What a mess. What a wondrous, glorious, serendipitous mess. To be honest, templates were one of the lures that brought me from 1e to 3e. You ought to have seen all of the half-creatures in my first two online games. Alu-demons and cambions weren't enough so I added alu-everything else, etc.

In 1e I had trogres, a troll-ogre hybrid. Along comes 3e and then I had half-troll ogres and half-ogre trolls. Marvelous! I kept trogre as a unique race made from the viable offspring of all the troll-ogres and ogre-trolls.

I do so enjoy the confusion!

 

[tlantl]

I was thinking along these lines yesterday while looking at other topics. I didn't mention it since I came to the conclusion that I wasn't particularly taken by the idea.

I'm still of the opinion that this is not the best way to deal with the issue since it could lead to a muddled heap of over or under powered non humans sitting around my table.

If there is going to be ant templates for creatures I hope they stay buried in a monster manual or the DMG where only I can see them. (None of the guys I play with own DMGs and aren't likely to if we adopt another gaming system.)

 

[FireLance]

One of the things I had hoped for when 5e was just announced was that things like class and race would be themes and that themes would only provide more options (instead of more benefits) so that you could stack as many themes as you want on one character without changing the power level significantly.

That way, multiclassing could be done by taking two class themes, and mixed race characters could be represented by taking two race themes.

 

[Sunseeker]

For incredibly powerful or incredibly rare hybrids, such as "half-devil" or "half-dragon" or "half-deep one", yes these things should be in the DMG or MM. For more generic things such as half-elf, half-halfling, those can stay in the PHB.

 

[kinem]

What's needed is a half-human template.

 

[Gundark]

How many of these "X should not be in 5e" threads did you make?